Ash And Misty's Wedding, Ilex Style
by Ilex the Elder
Summary: The title says it all. (And yes, I know this one has been done many times before, but I've had several requests for this story!)
1. Chapter 1

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Author's note: For the story behind the Pikachu-Electra-AJ relationship, check out "The Mating Game"!

"Caw-caw-caw-w-w-w-w!"

Ash Ketchum awoke with a start and found himself face-to-face with a huge, three-headed bird outside his window. 

"Shut up, Dodrio," he said irritably, flinging his pillow at the window. The bird took the hint and moved to another spot on the roof.

Ash yawned, rubbed his eyes, and ran a hand through his untidy dark hair. Still disoriented from his rude awakening, for a moment Ash didn't recognize the unfamiliar bedroom or the bed where he was lying. But when he looked around and saw the familiar form of Pikachu lying at the foot of his bed, he suddenly recalled where he was. And then he realized what day it was.

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Holy cow, I'm getting married today.

Pikachu, who had also been awakened by Dodrio's sunrise serenade, blinked and yawned sleepily.

"Morning, buddy," Ash grinned, reaching down and giving his faithful Pokémon a loving pat on the head. "Dodrio woke you up too, huh?"

"Pika," Pikachu nodded. The Pokémon closed its eyes once more and huddled against the other Pikachu that was sleeping next to it.

Ash was tempted to rejoin his Pokémon in slumber, but a queasy sensation in his stomach made Ash decide that he'd probably be better off hitting the bathroom first.

"Man, I should've never let Brock talk me into drinking all that beer last night," Ash moaned as he made his way to the small bathroom adjacent to the bedroom. He studied his reflection in the bathroom mirror and decided that he didn't look too bad for someone who had spent most of the previous night living it up at his bachelor party.

"So you have any advice for me, Pikachu?" Ash asked his Pokémon, who had decided to leap up on the counter next to the sink and watch his trainer shave. "You're been an old married man for a while." He nodded in the direction of the other Pikachu that was still sleeping at the foot of the bed. "Any last-minute words of wisdom concerning married life?"

Pikachu racked his brain for a moment and then smiled. "Pika-pika-chu." ["Be sure to tell Misty every day that she has cute ears."]

"Huh?" Ash stared at his Pokémon in disbelief.

"Pika-pi. Pika. Chu." ["I tell Electra that every day. And she really likes it. I'll show you."] Pikachu hopped off of the counter, jumped back onto the bed, and began nuzzling his mate's pointy ears. Electra opened her eyes, smiled at her mate, and pretty soon the two Pokémon were frolicking atop the sheets. Figuring the two probably wanted some privacy, Ash closed the bathroom door. 

"Hi, Misty. Your ears really turn me on," Ash grinned at his reflection once more, imagining what his fianceé would think of Pikachu's words of wisdom.

Ash chuckled and returned to his shaving.

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To be continued…


	2. Chapter 2

Down the hallway in another bedroom, six year-old Samantha Oak leapt out of bed excitedly and dashed to her closet where her light-blue flower girl's dress hung.

"Today's the big day, AJ!" Samantha said happily, taking her dress off of the hanger and holding it up to herself. "Ash and Misty are getting married!"

The half-asleep Pikachu lying at the foot of her bed raised its head and regarded its trainer curiously. 

"And you're going to be in the wedding too, AJ!" Samantha grinned. "I even bought you a little bow tie to wear!" She reached inside her desk drawer, brought out a light blue bow tie that was the same color as her dress, and fastened it around her Pokémon's neck. "Come on, AJ. Let's go see if Ash is up!"

As the girl and her Pokémon dashed down the hallway to the guest bedroom, the mini stampede awoke the occupants of the bedroom next to the girl's.

"Sounds like Sami is up," Delia Oak groaned. 

"And AJ too," replied her husband. Professor Oak yawned and glanced at the clock that was on the table next to their bed. "Six fifty-seven."

"It took me forever last night to get her to go to bed," Delia continued, snuggling in her husband's arms. "She was so excited about Ash and Misty's wedding that I couldn't get her to calm down. She's going to be absolutely exhausted later."

"Can't blame the girl for being excited," Professor Oak grinned, giving his wife a kiss on her forehead. "It's a big day today. Kind of reminds you of our wedding day, doesn't it?"

"I still can't believe my little boy is getting married today," Delia said sadly. "To me, he's still my baby."

"It's hard to believe that Ash is twenty-two and about to be married, isn't it?" Professor Oak said, giving his wife a comforting hug. "But Misty's a wonderful young lady, and she and Ash have known each other for years. They'll be fine." A mischievous gleam appeared in his eye. "Since we have a few minutes before I need to get up and start getting the Pokémon breakfast, why don't we take advantage of it?"

Delia giggled. "I thought older men weren't supposed to have much stamina."

"Only when they don't have pretty young wives like you," he replied, kissing her hungrily.

Delia smiled as her husband's hands made their way down her body. 

--- 

Ash was stepping out of the bathroom when the bedroom door flew open and a brown-haired girl with a Pikachu at her heels burst into the room.

"Hey, kiddo," Ash grinned, picking up his half-sister and swinging her in a circle. "What are you and AJ doing up so early?"

"It's your wedding day!" Sami said happily, jumping atop the bed and startling the pair of satisfied-looking Pikachus that were dozing atop it. "Oops! Sorry, Pikachu. Sorry, Electra."

Electra woke up, hopped off of the bed, went over to the Pikachu that was sitting on the floor next to the bed, and began smoothing down his fur.

"Pikachu," ["Cut it out, Mom."] AJ complained as his mother straightened the bow tie around his neck.

"Looks like Electra likes fussing over Ash Junior as much as our mom does," Ash said with amusement. "Speaking of which, is Mom up yet?"

"Yeah," Sami replied. "I heard her and Daddy giggling in their room. Guess they're happy about you and Misty getting married too."

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Or something else, Ash smiled to himself. Ever since his mother's marriage to Professor Oak nearly eight years ago, she had been happier than he could ever recall -- probably because she now had a husband and another child to fuss over. At first he had been shocked to learn of his mother's relationship with their next-door neighbor, but the more he thought about it, the more sense it made. His mom and Professor Oak had been friends for years, and it was natural that their friendship should blossom into love and eventually marriage.

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Just like Misty and me, Ash thought with a smile.

"You'd better get dressed, Ash," Sami said, hopping off of the bed and reaching for her brother's tuxedo, which was draped over a nearby chair. "You don't want to be late for your wedding!"

"Sami, I'm not getting married until later this afternoon," Ash said, ruffling his sister's spiky brown hair, which, like his, always seemed to stick out in all directions. "I've got plenty of time to get dressed. Matter of fact, I was going to go down and see what was going on with the gym today."

"Well, you'd better hurry," the excited girl continued. "If you're going to go to the gym, you need to eat breakfast first. I'm gonna get dressed then go eat before I help Daddy feed all the Pokémon."

"I'll be there in a minute, Sami," Ash called down the hallway as his sister and her Pikachu galloped back toward their room. If it weren't for the light brown hair, he would swear that his little half-sister was a female reincarnation of him. 

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Wonder if this is how it'll be when Misty and I have kids of our own? Ash thought as his gaze fell on his tuxedo once more. And then his stomach churned uncomfortably once more.

"Damn you, Brock," Ash muttered as he headed back to the bathroom. "I'm gonna kick your butt for making me drink all that beer last night."

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To be continued…


	3. Chapter 3

Ash headed downstairs to the kitchen and found his apron-clad mother busy fixing blueberry pancakes.

"Oh honey," Delia said, her eyes moist with tears. "My little boy is all grown up now. I can't believe that you're getting married today."

"Don't worry, Mom," Ash said, giving his mother a comforting hug. Even though Delia was tall, her son now hovered a good four inches over her. "You've still got Sami to fuss over. It's Misty's turn to fuss over me now."

"Well, at least let me fix you breakfast one more time," Delia said, putting a huge stack of pancakes on her son's plate. "Would you like juice or milk with those?"

"Actually Mom, I think I'm gonna just have some tea today. My stomach's kind of upset." Ash settled himself at the table.

"Oh honey, I know you're nervous about today, but you need to…what on earth?" Delia's mouth dropped open at the sight of her daughter, who was covered from head-to-toe with black goo.

"Sorry, Mom," Sami apologized. "AJ and I were playing tag with Muk."

"Sorry, Delia," Professor Oak apologized as he appeared behind his daughter, holding an equally filthy Pikachu. "You know how carried away Muk gets sometimes. I was busy feeding Heracross and didn't see Muk slime Sami and AJ until it was too late."

"Samantha Oak, you get upstairs right this instant and get out of those filthy clothes!" Delia pointed in the direction of the stairs. "I'll be up to give you a bath in a minute." 

Electra, who had been sitting at the table with Pikachu, hopped down, grabbed AJ by the ear, and dragged him in the direction of the stairs behind Sami.

"I swear, I think Sami gets filthier than you ever did, Ash," Delia said, untying her apron. "I just hope I can get the smell off of her before the wedding."

Both Ash and Professor Oak grinned with amusement as Delia disappeared upstairs. 

"So how are you feeling, Ash?" Professor Oak asked as he washed the slime off of his hands and then proceeded to pour himself a cup of hot tea. "It's a big day for you today."

"My stomach's a little queasy, but not too bad," Ash replied, taking another sip of his Indigo Spice tea.

"Got the jitters, huh?" Professor Oak said with amusement. "I felt the same way on the morning your mother and I got married. I was so nervous that I was afraid I was going either throw up, pass out, or have a heart attack in the middle of the ceremony. And don't tell your mother this, but I had to have Tracey run back up here to the lab and sneak out one of the small oxygen bottles for me, I was so lightheaded."

Ash grinned. "Well, I'm not quite that nervous. At least not yet, anyway."

"You'll do fine, son. Misty is a wonderful girl. Just remember to say 'I do' when the minister tells you to and you'll be all right."

"Thanks, Dad," Ash smiled gratefully at his stepfather. "I'd better get going. They're going to start putting the roof on the gym today, and I wanted to make sure the construction crew does it right."

"You really should eat something, Ash," Professor Oak urged, pointing at the untouched stack of pancakes. "I'd hate for you to pass out in the middle of the ceremony. And I don't think you want Brock giving you mouth-to-mouth, do you?"

"Yeah, that would be pretty bad if Brock got to kiss the groom before the bride did." Ash grabbed the top pancake from the stack and stuffed it in his mouth. "Come on, Pikachu. Let's get going."

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To be continued…


	4. Chapter 4

"Rise and shine, Aunt Misty! You don't want to be late for your wedding day!" 

Misty Waterflower opened her eyes and found herself face-to-face with a gurgling, drooling baby.

"Hi, Shelly," Misty smiled at her six-month old niece. "And hello, Daisy."

"Shelly and I didn't want you to oversleep on your big day," explained Misty's older sister, who was holding her daughter above Misty's face. "Not that we got much sleep last night. Shelly's teething."

"Hey, at least you had to give birth to only _one_ child," moaned Daisy's younger sister, Violet, as she came waddling into the bedroom. Violet was hugely pregnant with twins.

"Oh, don't complain so much, Violet," Daisy said. "You only have two weeks left to go. The end is near."

"Look at me," said Violet, examining her profile in the mirror across from Misty's bed. "I'm as big as a house."

"At least you're over morning sickness," said a pale-faced Lily, who came into the room and sank down on Misty's bed. "I just threw up again. That's the second time this morning." 

"Didn't you try the crackers and lemonade like I told you?" said Daisy.

"No, ginger ale is the way to go," said Violet.

Misty smiled to herself. In a little over three years, all three of her sisters had gotten married and, with Lily's announcement last week that she was pregnant, all three were now embarking on motherhood. 

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So that's why you have to hurry up and marry Ash, Daisy, Violet, and Lily had teased their baby sister. _Otherwise you'll miss out on the baby boom._

But Misty wasn't ready for motherhood just yet. When the Pallet Town gym was finished, she and Ash would have their hands full running the place. After all, Ash had told her, no other gym had a husband-and-wife team who were both Pokémon Masters. 

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Just think, Misty -- people will come from miles around to train with us. Ash Ketchum, the world's youngest Pokémon Master, and his beautiful wife, Misty, the world's greatest Water Pokémon Master. We'll have so many students that they'll be lined up for miles just waiting to get in.

"…And pretty soon, your boobs will be so huge that Todd won't be able to keep his hands off of you." Daisy was continuing to tell Lily what to expect during her pregnancy.

"And then your ankles will swell and you'll have to go pee every five minutes," groaned Violet. "Speaking of which…" She headed down the hallway to the bathroom.

"Oh Misty, maybe you'll get lucky and get pregnant on your honeymoon," Daisy gushed. "Then you can get to have all the fun we're having with babies and being pregnant." Daisy cuddled her infant daughter, who cooed happily in reply. "Speaking of which, do you have everything packed for your honeymoon?"

"Right over there," Misty said, pointing to the suitcase sitting in the far corner.

"Misty, surely you're not going to wear this on your wedding night, are you?" Daisy said with disgust, holding up the white lace gown that was sitting atop the clothes in the suitcase.

"Well, yeah…I was."

"No, no, no," Daisy said, throwing the gown on the floor. "Your wedding night is the most memorable night of your life. And you don't want Ash to be disappointed, do you?"

"Daisy's right, Misty," said Violet, who had just returned from her trip to the bathroom. "Honeymoon sex is the hottest sex you'll ever have. You have to wear something like…like…"

"Leather, whips, and chains?" Misty replied sarcastically, resenting her sisters' interference. All her life she had to deal with them bossing her around, and she wasn't about to let them run her honeymoon.

"Boy, that would be an unforgettable wedding night," Lily giggled tiredly. "I can't wait to see Ash's face when you break out the ropes and tie him to the bedposts."

"No. You need to wear something like this," Daisy said, holding up a skimpy red bustier trimmed with black lace. "Something that'll make Ash's eyes pop out."

"Thanks, but I'm wearing the white gown," Misty said firmly, getting out of bed and re-packing her suitcase. 

"Well, at least let us give you a makeover," Daisy said, reaching for a bright red lipstick. "We're going to make you look so amazing that Ash won't even recognize you."

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That's what I'm afraid of, Misty shuddered.

"Daisy, that's really sweet of you, but I'm going to take a shower first and then have some breakfast," Misty replied, heading for the bathroom.

"Ugh, don't mention food," Lily groaned.

"Just wait until the cravings start," Violet told her younger sister. "Then you'll be eating all sorts of weird stuff like anchovies and pickles mixed with chocolate fudge ice cream. Then you top it off with hot sauce and relish."

Lily turned a pale shade of green, clamped her hand to her mouth, and dashed down the hallway, knocking Misty to the floor in the process.

"Sorry, Sis," Lily said, bolting into the bathroom.

While Lily proceeded to throw up for a third time, Misty sighed and leaned against the bathroom door. Even though she and her sisters had been out on their own for years, whenever they came together it was always the same – her older sisters would always interfere with her life one way or another. And even though it was her wedding day and Misty was determined to not let her sisters run the show, it looked as if that wasn't meant to be. Early that morning, all three of them had converged on the small house in Pallet Town where Misty was spending her last night as a single woman.

"Come on, Togetic," Misty told the white Pokémon that was looking up at her questioningly. "Let's go have some breakfast. I think Lily's going to be in there for a while."

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To be continued…


	5. Chapter 5

"Just think, Pikachu," Ash told his Pokémon on the way back from checking on the construction of the new Pallet Town gym. "Pretty soon we're going to have the best Pokémon gym in all of Kanto."

"Pika," the Pokémon nodded in agreement.

As the pair passed by the small white house that had been Ash's childhood home and would be his and Misty's after their marriage, Ash impulsively dashed up the sidewalk and rang the doorbell.

"Ash!" gasped Lily as she answered the door. "You're not supposed to be here!"

"Yeah, it's bad luck to see the bride on the day of the wedding," Violet added as she appeared behind her sister.

"Sorry. I just wanted to see how Misty was doing." Ash tried to peer around the two women blocking his way. "Is she around?"

"She's upstairs with Daisy, getting ready for the wedding," Lily said, shoving him out the door. 

"So you just get on out of here and leave everything to us." Violet slammed the door in his face.

"Well, there goes that plan," Ash told Pikachu as he headed back down the sidewalk. The two started back towards the Oak Pokémon Research Laboratory where Delia had insisted that Ash spend his last as a bachelor.

"Hey, Ash!" called a familiar voice.

Ash turned around and saw a man about his age with spiky brown hair and an Umbreon at his heels approaching.

"Hey, Gary!" Ash smiled as the two clasped hands. "So you made it back from the Garnet Coast in one piece, huh?"

"Yeah. Spencer and I got back a couple of days ago. We discovered a new subspecies of Zapdos that have the ability to use some psychic-type attacks."

"Speaking of which, where's your better half?" Ash grinned mischievously. 

Gary rolled his eyes. "She and her mother are in Houen visiting colleges. I'll be so glad when Molly leaves home and finds someone else."

Ever since Gary had joined Professor Hale's lab as a research assistant several years ago, Spencer's daughter Molly had developed a huge crush on him. Gary had hoped that over time her interest in him would wane, but it hadn't. 

"I'll be sure to toss Misty's garter your way so we can plan yours and Molly's wedding next," Ash teased.

"Do that and I'll kick your ass," Gary replied as the two headed down the road in the direction of the Oak lab. "So how's life in Pallet? I saw that gym of yours on the way over. That place is larger than Grandpa's lab. Speaking of which, what's Sami into these days?"

"Muk slimed her and AJ this morning. When I left, Mom was busy trying to clean them up. Speaking of which…"

"Gary!" Sami, who was now freshly-scrubbed and wearing her flower girl's dress, came running down the hill and threw herself into Gary's arms.

"Hey, kiddo," Gary grinned as he gave her a hug. "You look great, although I wish I could've seen what you looked like earlier when you were covered in slime." 

Even though Sami was technically Gary's half-aunt, she regarded him as a big brother. "Oh, it wasn't Muk's fault. We were playing tag and he got carried away. But Mom got me and AJ cleaned up." She pointed to the Pikachu at her heels, who was wearing a blue bow tie.

Gary stifled a laugh at the sight of the uncomfortable-looking Pikachu. "Uh-oh, I forgot to bring Umbreon's top hat for the ceremony."

His Pokémon gave him a "you've got to be kidding" look.

Sami seized Gary by the arm and began dragging him towards her house. "Don't worry. I've got an extra bow tie Umbreon can wear. Come on!"

Ash nearly doubled over in laughter as Umbreon gave him a "save me from this kid" glance backwards.

"Oh, don't worry, Umbreon. Pikachu's going to be wearing a top hat and tails," Ash called out at Umbreon's retreating form. "Speaking of which, we'd better get back to the house and get ready."

Back inside the lab, Delia was busy fussing over the latest arrival.

"Now you just sit right there and take it easy, May," Delia said, helping the girl to a nearby chair. "Is the morning sickness any better?"

"Actually, I haven't thrown up the last two days," May replied. "I'm hoping that maybe I'm finally getting over this."

"Well, you're almost four months along now, so that's about right," Delia said. "But you still need to take it easy."

"I'm fine, Delia. (May couldn't get used to calling someone as young as Delia "Grandma".) The doctor said that everything's going great."

"Well, that's good to know," Professor Oak smiled at his granddaughter as he came into the room. "But Delia's right. After all, you are carrying my first great-grandchild, so you need to take good care of yourself."

"Oh, don't worry, Grandpa," May said, giving him an affectionate kiss on the cheek. "Tracey's taking care of all that. He'll be up in a minute." (Tracey and May lived in the house behind the Oak lab that had once been May's and Gary's childhood home.)

"Hey, look who I found in the middle of the road!" Ash shouted as he, Gary, and Sami came bursting through the front door.

"Gary!" May leapt up from her chair and gave her brother a huge hug.

"Hey, Sis." Gary eyes widened with amazement as he noticed the slight bulge in his sister's midriff. "You're finally starting to look pregnant now." 

"How are things in Greenfield, Gary?" Professor Oak asked, giving his grandson a friendly thump on the back.

"Spencer and I just got back from the Garnet Coast the day before yesterday. He said that he was sorry that he couldn't make it to the wedding, but he's got to get caught up on everything that's been going on at the lab while we were away for the last three months." Gary reached into his backpack and pulled out a present. "He said to give this to Ash and Misty and wish them all the best."

"Oh, that's so sweet of Spencer," Delia said, taking the gift from him and adding it to the growing pile of presents on the table next to the doorway. 

"Where's that husband of yours?" Gary asked his sister. "Where's ol' Professor Sketchit?"

"Right here, Gary." Tracey had just entered the lab via the back door. "And you can still call me Tracey."

Professor Oak's former lab assistant had recently completed his Ph.D. and was now his partner in running the operations of the Oak Pokémon Research Laboratory.

"Tracey's still not used to having people call him 'Professor Sketchit'," May explained, giving her husband a kiss. "When he starts teaching this fall, he's probably going to be correcting his students."

"Ash, honey, you'd better get upstairs and get ready," Delia said, looking at her watch. "It's getting late."

"And I'll go get that bow tie for Umbreon," Sami said, dashing upstairs to her room.

"Bow tie for…?" Professor Oak gave Gary a disbelieving look.

"It was Sami's idea," Ash explained with a grin. "Since AJ and Pikachu are getting dressed up for the wedding, she thought that Umbreon should look nice too." He gave the miffed-looking Pokémon standing next to Gary a playful pat on the head.

"And you need to get upstairs and into your tuxedo right now, mister," Delia ordered, pointing in the direction of the steps. "You are not going to get married in a filthy pair of blue jeans and an old T-shirt."

"Yes, Mom," Ash said, giving her a kiss on the cheek before heading upstairs to the guest bedroom.

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To be continued…


	6. Chapter 6

"So…what do you think, Misty?"

Misty looked at her reflection in the mirror. Despite her earlier fears, her sisters had done an admirable job of making her up for the wedding. (Except for a little too much lipstick – she'd have to wipe off some of that later.)

"Now let's get you into that gorgeous dress of yours," said Lily, who was feeling better now that she was over her nausea.

"Wait, I thought I was going to get dressed at Professor Oak's," said Misty.

"That's right. You don't want to get dressed here and have to walk all the way up there in your wedding dress. You'll get it all dirty," Violet said.

"Besides, our husbands are probably waiting up there right now. They've probably wondered what happened to us." Daisy buckled her daughter into her stroller. 

"And your husband is waiting for you, Misty," giggled Lily. "So let's not keep him waiting."

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My husband…it's finally happening.

Misty gazed at her reflection in the mirror once more. And staring back at her was a beautiful, confident young woman. Not the skinny, hot-tempered, twelve-year old girl that she had been when she had first met her future husband. 

Misty smiled to herself. How many women could say that they met their future husband when they pulled him out of a river? Ash and Pikachu had been trying to escape an attack by an onslaught of Spearows by jumping into the river when Misty had fished them out.

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Aw, it's just a kid. Oh, and a Poké_mon! Oh, are you okay?_

Yeah, I'm okay.

Not you! Look what you've done to that poor little thing! Is it breathing?

Yes, the two of them had come a long way since then. Kanto, the Orange Islands, Johto…even a yearlong separation when Ash went to Houen didn't keep them apart. If anything, it reinforced their desire to be together, culminating a year ago in their engagement.

It was their "anniversary", so to speak. It was the day that Ash had first received Pikachu, and it was also the day he and Misty had first met. The three of them celebrated usually by going out to eat or having a party, but today, the three had decided to celebrate their special day by going on a picnic. 

"Ash…earth to Ash…come in Ash." Misty waved a sandwich in front of Ash's face.

"Huh? Oh…sorry, Misty. Guess my mind was elsewhere." He broke the sandwich in two and handed half to Pikachu, who began nibbling on it happily.

"You're telling me," Misty replied. "You must be deep in thought if you turn down food. Want to talk about it?"

"Yeah," Ash said, taking a bite of his half of sandwich. "All I've done the last three days is think about what I'm going to do now with my life."

Three days earlier, Ash had celebrated his twenty-first birthday. And it was on that day that Ash had received the shock of his life. Ash's biological father, who had also been a Pokémon trainer, had died tragically in a rockslide during a journey to Johto many years ago. Unknown to Ash, Delia had kept the insurance money from her husband's accidental death in a trust fund for her son. 

"And now that you're an adult," Delia explained, handing him the bank statement. "The money is now all yours. Your father would've wanted it that way."

Ash opened the bankbook and nearly fainted when he saw how much money there was in the account. "Oh my God. Mom…I...holy cow." 

"And it's all yours, honey," Delia smiled benevolently.

Shaking, Ash sank down into a nearby chair. He couldn't believe how many zeroes there were after the first digit in the total amount of money in the account. "But…but I can't take all this. You should have this, Mom." 

Delia shook her head. "Don't worry about me, Ash. Sam has everything taken care of as far as providing for me and Sami…and you, too. Speaking of which, he told me that he's going to give you a fairly large monetary gift later tonight at your party."

"He what? Oh man, he doesn't have to do that, Mom." Ash stared in disbelief at the bank statement once more. "I think I have more than enough money here to last me for a lifetime."

"Ash, you're Sam's stepson. Why wouldn't he want to give you a present for your birthday?" Delia gave her son a hug. "I can't believe that you're an adult now. Just a short time ago you were a little thing like Sami – running through the house barefoot, screaming at the top of your lungs, and getting into all sorts of mischief. Oh, where does the time go?" Delia sniffed and brushed away a tear.

"Aw, Mom…" Ash returned his mother's embrace. "Don't cry. Like you said, you've got Sami now. And she's more of a handful than I ever was."

"Oh, I don't know about that, Ash," Delia smiled. "You were always getting into all sorts of trouble. You and that impulsive streak of yours."

"Man, I have no idea what to do with all this money," Ash said, shaking his head in disbelief.

"You don't have to decide what to do with it right away," Delia replied. "Take some time and think about it."

And for the last three days, that was the only thing that Ash had thought about.

"Well, you could go to college with it," Misty suggested. "Professor Oak did mention that."

"Yeah, but I don't think I could take being stuck inside a classroom all day. I'd rather be out training and looking for Pokémon. Right, Pikachu?" He scratched his faithful Pokémon's pointy ears affectionately.

"Pika," the little Pokémon nodded before returning to its ketchup sandwich.

"Well, now that you're a Pokémon Master…"

"The youngest Pokémon Master ever," Ash reminded her.

Misty rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Anyway, now that you're a Pokémon Master, have you ever sat down to think about what you want to do next? I mean, you've been going on trips with your stepfather and Tracey to look for new Pokémon."

"Yeah, and we did discover that cool new grass-type Pokémon," Ash grinned, holding up a Poké ball. "How many people can say that they have an Ivyon?" He threw the Poké ball and a dark green Pokémon that looked like an Eevee appeared in a flash of light.

"But don't you ever get tired of traveling, Ash? Haven't you ever thought about settling down?"

"Well, now that Tracey's getting married, I guess his traveling days are over. And Dad's lumbago is starting to act up again. The doctor said that he's going to have to have surgery soon to fix that herniated disc in his back. He won't be doing any traveling for a while."

"So I guess the trips are going to come to an end, huh?"

"I suppose I can always see if Gary and Professor Hale are planning any research trips," Ash said, stroking his Ivyon's leafy ears. "Maybe I can tag along with them sometime."

"Ash, aren't you getting tired of traveling all the time?"

"Misty, part of being a Pokémon Master is learning how to train all kinds of Pokémon. And with the new Pokémon that Dad and Tracey are discovering, I'm one of the few trainers – maybe even the only trainer – with these types of Pokémon. And with Pokémon like Ivyon on my side, I'll be unbeatable."

"Ivy," Ash's latest Pokémon nodded in agreement before bowling over Pikachu in a mock battle.

"But yeah, sometimes the trips do get a bit tiresome," Ash admitted. "Especially when Dad and Tracey start getting all excited and worked up over some new research project and start speaking in scientist-ese. I'm just standing there with a blank look on my face while they're going on about things like 'adaptive polymorphia' or 'phytomammalian synesthesia'."

"I'm impressed that you can even pronounce big words like that, Ash," Misty grinned mischievously. 

"And I do miss having you around," Ash said, pulling her down atop him. "Especially when we're out in the middle of nowhere. I'll think about how much I want to hold you, to kiss you, to do this…" He reached inside her shirt.

"Ash, stop!" Misty squealed. "Someone might see!" 

"Oh, it's just Pikachu and Ivyon. Besides, Pikachu's an old married man – he's seen it all before." Ash's hands resumed their journey upward inside his girlfriend's shirt.

"Yeah, but he hasn't seen _us_ do it before," Misty said. She rolled off of Ash and straightened her shirt. "Seriously, Ash…what are you going to do now that you have all that money? Haven't you ever thought about what your next goal in life is now that you're a Pokémon Master?"

"Sure. That's why I'm traveling with Dad and Tracey. With all the new types of Pokémon I'm getting, I'll have an unbeatable team. And if I want to get into the Elite Four, I'll have to have a powerful team of Pokémon on my side."

"I should've known that you wouldn't be content with just being a Pokémon Master," Misty smiled knowingly. 

"Yeah. And after the Elite Four, I'm going to be the League Champion someday." Ash said determinedly. 

"But it takes a long time to become a member of the Elite Four," Misty said, resting her head on her boyfriend's shoulder. "You know that the minimum age for consideration is thirty."

"I know. But when they see what a fantastic trainer I am and what an awesome team I have, I think they'll make an exception for me."

"They didn't for Lorelei, and she's the youngest member of the Elite Four ever. She had to wait until she was thirty before they let her in. And you still have another nine years until you hit thirty. Have you ever thought about what you're going to do until then?"

"Well, not really," Ash admitted. "But now that I have all this money, I guess I should start thinking about that, huh?"

"You could give college a try, you know. I like it a lot. Celadon University is a great place. And since your stepfather is one of the most distinguished professors Celadon U. has ever had, you shouldn't have a problem getting in." 

"Yeah, but you're a lot smarter than I am, Misty. Besides, you're studying marine Pokémon biology and that goes real well with being a Water Pokémon Master."

"And last year's Water Pokémon Alpha-Omega champion," Misty reminded him.

"But like I said, Mist…I don't think I can take being cooped up in a classroom all day. I'd rather be training or battling."

"Have you ever thought about running your own gym, Ash? That way, you could train and battle Pokémon all the time."

"Run my own gym? Hmmm, that would be pretty awesome. But I don't think any of the Gym Leaders are ready to retire just yet. Other than maybe Pryce, but I don't really want to go live in Johto."

"I didn't mean that, Ash. What I meant was start your own gym here in Pallet Town. That way, that'll give you something to do for the next nine years until you get into the Elite Four. And you can still go on trips with your dad when he's feeling better. And I know your mom would like having you close by."

Ash thought about Misty's suggestion for a few moments. "You know, Mist, you might be on to something."

"And with the money you have now, you can easily afford to build your own gym."

"'The Pallet Town Gym, led by the youngest Pokémon Master ever, Ash Ketchum'. I really like the sound of that," Ash smiled. "You know, Misty, you're pretty smart. That's why you're in college, and I'm not." He drew her closer and kissed her gratefully. 

"Yeah, but I'll be through with college at the end of this semester," Misty said. "And then I'll be looking for something to do."

"How about helping me build and run Pallet Town's first gym?" Ash suggested. "You and me. We'll be an unstoppable team. The youngest Pokémon Master ever and the smartest Water Pokémon Master ever."

Misty's eyes widened. "You and me…together? Ash, are you saying what I think you're saying?"

"Yeah. Stay with me here in Pallet, Mist. Help me make the Pallet Town Gym the best one in all of Kanto…no, the whole world. Because with you at my side, I know I can do it."

Misty's eyes began to glisten with tears, and she threw herself into Ash's arms. "Oh, Ash…yes! Yes, I'll marry you and stay with you in Pallet forever."

"Oh, Mist…" Ash wrapped his arms around her then he suddenly realized what she had just said. "Wait a minute…marry?!" 

Misty lifted her head from Ash's chest. "Ash, didn't you just ask me to marry you?"

"I…uh…I asked you if you wanted to stay here in Pallet with me and help me build the gym," Ash gulped anxiously. "I didn't ask you to marry me. At least I don't think I did."

"But why would you ask me to stay here with you if you didn't want to marry me?" Misty said, her anger rising. "And I'm not going to move in with you, if that's what you're asking. I don't believe in that sort of thing."

"Now wait a second, Misty. Calm down and…"

"I will _not_ calm down, Ash Ketchum!" Misty shouted angrily, pushing him away. "Not until you tell me exactly what you meant when you asked me to stay here in Pallet with you!"

"Misty, what I meant was that I want you to stay here in Pallet with me. And I want you to help me build and run the gym."  
"So you're asking me to be your business partner, is that it?" Misty said sarcastically. "I thought I meant more to you than just that." Misty gathered up her picnic basket. "Good thing I found that out before I invested any more time in this relationship."

"Misty! Wait! You're blowing this all out of proportion!" Ash grabbed her arm. "Misty, for crying out loud, I do love you! I love you more than anything in this whole world. I love you more than training Pokémon even."

Misty's gaze softened. "Then why don't you want to marry me? I thought that's what you meant when you asked me to stay by your side."

"Misty…I…I…I'm not sure I want to get married just yet."

"Why not, Ash? I thought you said you were going to settle down now."

"Well, yeah, but…" Ash was starting to sweat nervously.

"And if you want me to stay here with you, then what did you mean exactly?"

"Misty, what I meant was that I want you to stay here with me in Pallet. I can't imagine not having you by my side. We've been together for so long that I don't think I could take it if you did leave."

Misty moved closer to him. "Then what are you saying, Ash?"

"What I meant was…well, kind of what you said, but it just didn't come out right."

"Ash, are you trying to say that you do want to marry me after all?"

"Well, I mean…yeah. That's kind of what I had in mind when I said that I wanted you to stay by my side and help me run the gym."

"_Kind of_ had in mind?"

"Well, _did_ have in mind, actually. Like I said, it just didn't come out right."

Misty gently took Ash's face in her hands and looked him straight in the eye. "Ash, I want you to tell me the truth. Tell me exactly what you meant."

Ash looked deeply into the crystal-blue eyes of the woman he loved and decided to let his heart do all the talking. "Mist, I love you more than anything. And I don't think I could take it if you left. That's why I want you to stay here with me in Pallet. And when I said that I wanted you to stay by my side, what I meant was as a couple…like forever."

"So are you asking me to marry you, Ash?"

Yeah…I guess I am," Ash smiled. 

"In that case, I accept." Misty finished her statement with a kiss that sent Ash reeling.

"Wow…can we go straight to the honeymoon now?" Ash said with a goofy grin once their lips parted.

Misty giggled. "You sound just like Brock."

Violet's voice snapped Misty out of her reminiscence. "Hey, Misty…quit fantasizing about your wedding night and let's get going!"

"Yeah, if you're late for your wedding, then there won't be a wedding night," Daisy smiled, gathering up the box containing her sister's wedding dress.

"And Ash would be upset, to say the least," Lily smiled, holding out her hand to Misty. "Come on, Little Sister…let's get the last of the Four Sensational Sisters of Cerulean City married off."

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To be continued…


	7. Chapter 7

"Nervous yet, Ash?" Tracey asked while helping Ash into his tuxedo.

"No, not really," Ash said calmly, smoothing down his spiky hair, which, as usual, was refusing to cooperate.

"I was the same way the day May and I got married," Tracey smiled knowingly. "I was fine until they started playing the music before the ceremony started. Then my legs started shaking so badly that I nearly keeled over in the aisle. Professor Oak saw me starting to go down and made Brock run back to the lab to get the oxygen bottle. He remembered it from when he got married."

"Payback time, huh?" Ash chuckled. "Oh yeah…now I remember. I was checking on the food and when I came back into the dressing room, you were propped up in one of the chairs, pale as a Dewgong, and Dad was checking your pulse or something like that."

"I brought the oxygen bottle upstairs with me in case you need to use it, Ash," Tracey said. "It's in the corner."

"Thanks, Tracey, but I'll be fine. That is, if Brock ever shows…"

"Sorry I'm late," Brock gasped as he burst through the doorway. "Just making sure everything's in order for our man's big day." He thumped Ash on the shoulder. "Nervous, buddy?"

"Tracey and I just had that talk," Ash replied. "And I'm fine."

"Hey, the oxygen bottle's here," Brock said, noticing it in the corner. "Looks like you're all set."

"Don't tell me you passed out on your wedding day too, Brock?" Ash said in disbelief.

"No. Just threw up a couple of times, that's all."

"Speaking of throwing up, I'm gonna kill you for making me drink all that beer last night," Ash said, tossing a sock in his friend's direction. "My stomach's been acting up all day."

"Come on, you didn't drink that much last night," said Brock, catching the sock and flinging it back in Ash's direction. "Are you sure it's not nerves?"

"Did you eat anything this morning?" asked Tracey. 

"I had some tea and one of Mom's pancakes," Ash replied. "I didn't feel like eating anything else with my stomach the way it is."  
"Nerves," Tracey and Brock said in unison. 

"Will you two cut it out! I'm not nervous!" Ash insisted. "Look, I feel the same way I do before a big Pokémon battle, and I always do fine. Today's no different."

"Well, just to be safe, be sure to write down your vows on a piece of paper and stuff it in your sleeve," Tracey advised, handing Ash a note card. "I was so nervous that I blanked out during the ceremony and forgot all the words. And May still hasn't let me forget it. Speaking of which, I'm going to go downstairs and see how things are going." Tracey gave his friend the thumbs-up sign. "And don't forget about the oxygen."

"Maybe you guys got cold feet on your wedding day, but I'm fine," Ash said, studying his reflection in the mirror. "I'm as cool as an Articuno. Right, Pikachu?"

"Pika," Pikachu replied, also giving Ash the thumbs-up sign.

"You look even better than Ash, Pikachu," Brock said, grinning at the sight of the Pokémon dressed in a top hat and bow tie. "Watch out or Misty might marry you instead."

"Pika?"

"Lemme help you with that, Ash," Brock volunteered, noticing that Ash was having a problem getting his tie on straight.

"I hate ties," Ash muttered. "Feels like a Vine Whip being wrapped around your neck."

"Don't worry," Brock said, grinning mischievously. "It'll be off soon enough. Speaking of which, I have your plane tickets right here in my pocket. You're all set for an unforgettable honeymoon at Sunset Island. And do you have the 'instruction book' we gave you at your party last night?"

Ash turned bright red. "Brock, I think I know what to do on my honeymoon."

"True, but you ought to try out some of the 'advanced techniques' in the book we gave you. You'll leave Misty begging for more."

"This coming from the guy who used to beg women to let them make you their boyfriend?"

"Those days are over, buddy," Brock said, picking a stray thread off of his friend's jacket. "And yours will be too, in just a couple of hours. There. You look great. Misty won't even recognize you."

"You have Misty's ring, right?"

"Right here in my pocket, next to the plane tickets," Brock said, patting his jacket. "So all you need to do now is kick back, relax, and sniff a little of the oxygen if you need to. I'll be back in a little while to drag you kicking and screaming to the altar."

"Hey, thanks for everything, Brock," Ash smiled gratefully at his longtime friend.

"What's a best man for?" Brock smiled back. "And as best man, one of my duties is to check on the wedding party, so I'm going to visit the ladies now. "

"Just keep your hands off of my future wife," Ash called out as Brock headed down the hallway.

__

My wife…

Ash smiled to himself at the thought and leaned back onto his bed. Pikachu came over to his side and peered into his trainer's face.

"I'm not nervous at all, Pikachu," Ash said, scratching Pikachu's head. "Matter of fact, I might just take a little nap right now and…oh man, not again." Ash clutched his stomach and headed for the bathroom once more. 

"Pikachu?" the little Pokémon asked worriedly as Ash emerged from the bathroom once more.

"It's okay, Pikachu," Ash replied, flopping down on the bed. "I think the nachos I had at the party last night didn't sit well with the beer I had. I think I'll just rest for a little while before it's time for the ceremony."

Ash closed his eyes and Pikachu curled up next to his trainer. 

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To be continued…


	8. Chapter 8

"Misty!" Delia cried happily as she opened the door and gave her future daughter-in-law a hug.

"We had to drag the bride kicking and screaming all the way up here," Daisy teased.

"Oh, let me see this precious little girl," Delia smiled, bending down next to the stroller and tickling Shelly's cheek. The baby gurgled happily in reply. "Oh, you are so adorable!"

"Where's Ash?" Misty asked.

"He's in the apartment over the lab, but you know as well as I do that the bride can't see the groom before the wedding," Delia said, steering Misty in the direction of the stairs. "You can use the guest bedroom to get dressed for the ceremony."

"Come on, Misty," Lily said, taking her sister's hand. "Let's get you into that gorgeous gown of yours."

"And how are you doing, Violet?" Delia asked the hugely pregnant woman sympathetically. "Misty told me that you're expecting twins. You must be so excited!"

"Can I use your bathroom, please?" Violet replied uncomfortably.

"Certainly, dear. There's one next to the guest bedroom," Delia said. 

"My back's been killing me all day," Violet groaned as Delia helped her up the stairs. "I can't wait until the babies get here."

"Well, you just rest up until the ceremony," Delia said, opening the door to the room where Daisy, Lily, and Misty were opening the box containing Misty's wedding gown.

"Oh, Misty, your gown is absolutely beautiful!" Delia exclaimed at the sight of the white silk and lace creation.

"Come on, let's get you out of those grubby clothes and into something that Ash is really going to like," Daisy said, grabbing Misty's shirt and pulling it over her head.

Delia barely heard the doorbell ring over the giggling of the four young women. "Oh, dear. There's the doorbell again. It's probably the caterers. Let me go take care of them, and I'll be right back up." She hurried downstairs in time to see Tracey answer the door. 

"Yes, can I…?" Tracey was shocked into silence at the sight of the blue-haired young man and a crimson-haired woman approximately the same age, both of whom were wearing tuxedos, standing on the doorstep holding an elaborately decorated wedding cake.

"Oh good, you're here!" Delia smiled at her visitors. "Bring the cake around to the table in the backyard. The ceremony is being held in the garden."

"Wait a second," Tracey said, moving his arm to block the pair's path. "What are you two doing here?"

"Make it three, twerp," said Meowth, who was standing behind Jessie and James, holding a huge spray of flowers.

"It's simple, twerp," Jessie said, pushing Tracey aside. "We're the caterers. Now get out of our way so we can get catering."

"They had the best price in town," Delia explained to a confused-looking Tracey. "And they said that since they've known Ash and Misty for a long time, they wanted to give them their personal attention." 

"I'll bet," Tracey grumbled.

"Tracey, will you be a dear and show these nice people where they can put the wedding cake?" Delia asked.

"Oh, I'll show you where you can put that cake," Tracey muttered under his breath, frowning at the trio.

"Hey, did youse just say something, twerp?" Meowth demanded.

"It's not 'twerp', Meowth. My name is _Tracey_," the irritated young man replied.

"_Professor_ Tracey Sketchit," Delia added proudly. "And we're all so proud of him."

"_You're _a professor?" James said, his jaw falling open in disbelief.

"Guess they'll make anyone a professor nowadays," said Jessie. "Maybe we should give that a try."

"Yeah, dat would look good on our resumes," agreed Meowth.

Tracey rolled his eyes and motioned for the trio to follow him to the backyard.

"I don't trust you guys for one second," Tracey said once they were out of earshot of Delia. "And I'm going to keep my eye on you."

"Keep your lab coat on, twerp," Jessie said. 

"_Professor_ Twerp," Meowth corrected her.

"Believe it or not, Professor Twerp, ever since we left Team Rocket, we've gone straight," James explained as the group made their way to the garden where the ceremony would take place. "We've had lots of part-time jobs since then. Catering is our latest enterprise. Let's do the motto for him, Jessie."

The pair put the cake down on the banquet table and leapt onto a nearby rock.

"Prepare for trouble, but not today!" Jessie began.

"We'll put ourselves out for your special day," James continued.

"To protect your guests from hunger and thirst,"

"Our food's not bad, at least not the worst,"

"To cater your wedding or special day of love,"

"We'll cook up some goodies on our very own stove!"

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"J&J Caterers, blasting off at the speed of light!"

"We'll cater your event, either day or night!"

"Meowth, dat's…"

"Wobbuffet!"

"That's it! I'm tired of you always havin' the last word!" Meowth jumped atop the blue bloblike Pokémon that had just emerged from its Poké ball. The two began fighting and rolled in the direction of the table holding the wedding cake.

"Look out!" Tracey cried, leaping for the cake that was wobbling precariously. He caught it just in time to prevent it from tumbling to the ground.

"Hey, nice catch, Professor Twerp," Jessie said admiringly.

"I should've known you two would cause trouble," Tracey said, replacing the cake on the table. "Now that you've delivered the cake, why don't you guys leave before you do any more damage?"

"Oh, we're not done yet," James said, pulling out an apron. "We've got to get the rest of the food for the reception ready. And then we've got to get the flowers arranged, the bar set up, the chairs in place, roll out the white carpet…"

"Fine. Just as long as you stay out of the way," Tracey said, brushing a smudge of icing off of his jacket sleeve. "And if I catch you trying to steal any of the Pokémon here at the lab, I'll have you thrown out of here before you can say 'Geodude'."

"Don't get your underwear in a wad, Professor Twerpo," Meowth said, delivering one last blow to Wobbuffet's head. "Even though youse may not believe it, we have gone straight. All we're interested in now is making money."

"All right," Tracey said warily. "But I'm going to be watching you closely, understand?"

"Just let us work our catering magic and I think we'll be able to convince you that the only thing we're interested in taking now is orders," James said, arranging champagne glasses on a tray. "Want one?"

"No, that's all right," Tracey said.

"It's the finest champagne ever to come out of a cardboard box," James smiled, proffering his tray. 

Tracey made a face. "Uh…I think I'll go check on the wedding party and see how everyone's doing."

Tracey spotted a few guests arriving and went to greet them. One was a dark-haired boy in glasses who looked to be in his early teens. Spotting Tracey, the boy gasped and eagerly ran up to him.

"Hello," Tracey greeted the boy. "I'm…"

"Professor Tracey Sketchit!" the boy said in breathless awe. "Former research assistant to the great Professor Samuel Oak and now his partner. It's an honor to meet you!" The boy shook Tracey's hand eagerly. 

"You…how do you…?" Tracey was stunned by the boy's adulation.

"Oh, Professor Oak is my idol," the boy, whose name was Masato, explained. "I know everything about him. And I know everything about you, too. I read your Ph.D. thesis and everything -- it was brilliant! It's an honor to meet the protégé of the great Professor Oak."

"That sounds familiar, doesn't it, Tracey?" Professor Oak smiled, placing a hand on his former assistant's shoulder. Tracey had been just as worshipful of Professor Oak when he had arrived at the lab years ago.

"Oh my gosh! It's you! It's really you!" Masato began trembling at the sight of his idol.

"It's nice to finally meet you in person, Masato," Professor Oak smiled, extending his hand. "Where's your sister?"

"She…she…gym leader…Houen…" The instant Professor Oak's hand touched Masato's, the boy's eyes rolled back in his head and he fainted. 

"Oh dear, history is definitely repeating itself," Professor Oak said, kneeling next to the unconscious boy. "Tracey, go get him some water."

As Tracey went off to fetch Masato a glass of water, Sami and AJ came wandering over. "What happened to him, Daddy?" she said, pointing at the boy lying on the ground.

"I think he's had a little too much excitement for one day," Professor Oak explained to his daughter. "The poor boy's fainted."

"Let's help him out, AJ," Sami said. "AJ, Thundershock now!"

"Sami, wait…!"

A huge bolt of electricity shot out of the Pikachu's body and surrounded Masato, who instantly leapt to his feet.

"What th'…? What happened?" a singed Masato said, looking around wildly.

"My name's Sami," the girl standing next to him explained. "And this is my Pikachu, AJ. It's short for Ash Junior…that's my brother."

"Ash…? You're Ash's sister?" Masato said, staring at the girl in disbelief. "Your brother is an awesome Pokémon trainer. He helped me and my sister on our journey in Houen."

"Yeah. And this is my daddy," Sami said, giving her father a quick hug. "Come on. I'll show you around the lab." 

"Wow, I didn't know you were Professor Oak's daughter _and_ Ash's sister," Masato said, a respectful smile appearing on his face. "You must know everything there is to know about Pokémon."

"Not yet," Sami said, taking Masato's hand. "Come on. I'll introduce you to Heracross."

"Looks like Sami has a boyfriend," Tracey teased as he returned with the glass of water. "Maybe we'll be hearing more wedding bells soon."

A stunned-looking Professor Oak turned to his partner, took the glass of water from him, and drained it in one gulp. 

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To be continued…


	9. Chapter 9

Ash was awakened by Brock banging open his door.

"Man, I can't believe you're taking a nap when you're getting married an hour from now," Brock said, flinging Ash's boutonniere into his friend's face. "What're you doing, saving your strength for the honeymoon?"

"Nahh, just sleeping off the nachos and beer I had last night," Ash replied, yawning. "Your stomach wasn't upset last night, was it?"

Brock shook his head. "No. But then again, I'm not the one getting married in a few minutes. Here." He handed Ash a paper bag. "I threw up a few times before my wedding. I figured you might need this."

"Brock, I don't need a barf bag," Ash insisted, sitting up and straightening his rumpled tuxedo. "Like I said, I'm as cool as an Articuno. Is Misty here yet?"

"Yeah, she's down the hallway in the guest bedroom with her sisters. I heard them giggling."

"Did you see Misty yet? Is she in her wedding gown?"

"You'll see her soon enough, Lover Boy," Brock said, straightening the lapels of his friend's tuxedo. "That's why I came to get you. Todd's taking pictures of the wedding party, and he wants all the men outside. So come on." 

As Ash and Brock passed by the door of the guest bedroom and heard the high-pitched chatter of the women within, Ash crept up to the door and tried the doorknob.

"Hey, you're not supposed to see Misty before the ceremony," Brock said, snatching Ash's hand away. "It's bad luck."

"Aw, come on, Brock. I want to peek inside and make sure she's okay," Ash protested. 

"She's fine, Ash. Come on." Brock grabbed his friend by the shirt collar and dragged him downstairs.

Inside, Daisy was fluffing the train of her sister's dress. 

"Check it out, everyone," Daisy said, pointing to her youngest sister's reflection in the mirror. "Doesn't our baby sister look like a princess? Misty, I can't believe you're, like, all grown up now."

"Misty, sweetheart, you look absolutely beautiful!" Delia exclaimed as she opened the door to the room. 

"Thanks, Mrs. Oak," Misty smiled shyly.

"Misty, in less than an hour you're going to be my daughter-in-law, so I want you to start calling me 'Mom'," Delia said, embracing her, being careful not to crush Misty's dress.

"That means so much to me," Misty said gratefully, returning her future mother-in-law's embrace.

"Yeah. Our parents died a long time ago," Violet said. "Daisy took care of us until I was old enough to help out. Then Lily helped us take care of Misty."

"And now Misty's all grown up and going to be a wife just like the rest of us," Daisy said, brushing a tear away.

"Speaking of which, do you have everything you need?" asked Delia. "Something old, new, borrowed, and blue?"

"Well, my earrings are old," Misty said, lightly touching the pearl earrings dangling from her ears.

"They were our mother's," Violet explained.

"And my dress and shoes are new," Misty said, lifting the fluffy tulle skirt of her dress to display her white lace shoes.

"And you've got a blue garter," Lily giggled. 

"Guess all I need is something borrowed," Misty said, looking around for something.

"Here, Misty," Delia said, unfastening the sapphire and diamond tennis bracelet sparkling on her wrist. "Sam gave to me the day we got married, and we've been happily married ever since," Delia explained, fastening the bracelet onto Misty's right wrist. "It'll bring you good luck. Not that you and Ash don't need any."

Misty moved her arm slowly back and forth to admire the beautiful bracelet. "Thank you…Mom," Misty smiled, tears glistening in her eyes.

"No crying!" Daisy ordered. "You'll smear your makeup!"

"Whoa, Misty! You look just like a princess!" exclaimed Sami as she and AJ came galloping into the room.

"Thanks, Sami," Misty smiled, giving her future sister-in-law a hug. "You look pretty gorgeous yourself. Ready to be my flower girl?"

"You bet!" Sami said, clutching her basket of white rose petals eagerly. "AJ and I were gonna go practice throwing these at everyone."

"You don't throw those at anyone!" Delia scolded. "You're supposed to gently drop the petals one by one in the aisle."

"But it would be more fun if I told Pidgeot to use his Gust attack and then all the petals would fly all over everyone," Sami insisted.

"You will do no such thing, young lady!" Delia warned her daughter. "I swear, I think you're harder to raise than Ash ever was."

"And that's a tough act to follow," Misty grinned. Her future husband's impulsive behavior had gotten him into numerous jams over the years.

"Is everyone dressed?" asked Professor Oak, cautiously peering around the door.

"You can open your eyes, dear," Delia told her husband. "We're all decent."

"Misty, you look absolutely lovely," Professor Oak smiled admiringly at his future daughter-in-law. "Ash is a very lucky man. Speaking of which, Todd told me to tell you that he's through taking pictures of the men in the wedding party and he's ready for the women now."

"Let's get downstairs then," said Daisy, adjusting Misty's veil.

"Can someone help me out of this chair, please?" groaned Violet, who had sunk into the cushioned chair next to the window and couldn't get up. 

"Hang on, Sis," said Lily, grabbing her sister's arms and pulling her out of the chair.

"Thanks, Lily. I'll do the same for you in about eight months from now," Violet said, rubbing her aching back. "I'll be so glad when these babies get here." 

As the other women headed downstairs, Misty reached for Professor Oak's arm. "Professor, can I ask you something?" 

"Misty, in a few short minutes I'm going to be your father-in-law. You can start calling me 'Dad' or 'Sam' or whatever you're comfortable with," Professor Oak smiled at her, patting her hand. 

"My own dad died when I was little, so that means a lot to me," Misty smiled gratefully. "And that's what I wanted to talk to you about. Would you…would you please walk me down the aisle? I was planning on walking down the aisle by myself, but I'd be honored if you'd escort me instead."

"Misty, I'd be honored," Professor Oak said, lifting her veil and giving her a light kiss on the cheek. "Honored and touched."

"Thanks…Dad," Misty grinned.

"Come on. We can't keep everyone waiting," Professor Oak said, gulping back the lump forming in his throat. "Ash would kill me if I kept his bride from him any longer than necessary."

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To be continued…


	10. Chapter 10

"Sure you don't need any oxygen?" Brock asked one last time as he adjusted Ash's bowtie.

"Brock, I'm fine," Ash insisted as his friend escorted him up to the elaborately decorated gazebo where the ceremony was being held. "Wow, whoever decorated this did a great job."

"Thanks, twerp," smiled James, who was busy draping a floral garland across the minister's podium.

Ash's mouth dropped open in disbelief. "What…what are you doing here?"

"We're the caterers," James beamed. "And the florists. There, that's perfect." He produced a small brush and dusted a piece of lint off of Ash's shoulder. "And now you're perfect, twerp."

"Wobbuffet!" The blue Pokémon, who was wearing a black bowtie, was standing at Ash's feet, holding a tray of champagne. 

"You're here, too?" exclaimed Ash.

"Time for dis ceremony to get on da road," said Meowth, who made his way to the organ sitting on the opposite side of the stage and began playing a tune.

"All right, everyone, places!" Jessie was shouting at the wedding guests through a huge megaphone. "You! Get in your seat now!" she shouted at the stunned-looking Masato, who had just returned from his tour of the Oak Pokémon Preserve with Sami. 

"Jessie just loves bossing everyone around," James explained. "So being a wedding coordinator is the perfect job for her."

"You! If you're not in your seat by the time I count to three…" Jessie was now ready to hurl a cream puff at Professor Elm, who had just arrived for the ceremony. "Hey, wait a minute…you're the professor who had the evil Totodile that destroyed my beautiful hair!" 

James caught her hand as Jessie prepared to fling the pastry at Professor Elm. "Ease up, Jess. This is how we got fired from the last wedding, remember?"

"Oh, all right," Jessie grumbled, dropping the cream puff. She picked up her megaphone once more. "Everyone, listen up! This wedding is going to start in two minutes, so all of you get in your seats NOW!" 

The congregation immediately scrambled into their chairs. 

Brock grinned. "Even though Jessie may be bossy, you have to admit that she's doing a good job at keeping everyone on track."

"As long as they don't start stealing everyone's Pokémon," Ash replied. 

Jessie was now pushing the members of the wedding party into position for the procession down the aisle. "All right…twerp with the Pikachu goes first, then the twerp's mom. Then you're next, Blondie." She shoved Daisy into position. "Then Professor Twerp with the woman who looks like she ate a Snorlax…"

"Hey, just because I'm pregnant…!" protested Violet.

"Just shut up and waddle into line," Jessie ordered. "Next is the other chick with the guy whose hair looks like he stuck his finger in a light socket."

"Huh?" Gary said, confused.

"Well, that spiky hair of yours is awfully out of control," James said helpfully. "A little hair gel would work wonders as far as keeping it under control. Not to mention adding some much needed luster and shine."

"Save the grooming tips for later, James," Jessie replied irritably, shoving him out of the way. "Okay, where's the old geezer and the red-headed twerp?"

"Right here," Professor Oak replied as he appeared with Misty on his arm.

"Nice dress, twerp," Jessie said. "Now stand over there until I tell you that it's your turn to go down the aisle."

Misty's mouth fell open in disbelief. "What are _you_ doing here?"

But Jessie was already tossing AJ into the aisle as Meowth began the wedding prelude. "Get moving, you chubby little rodent!"

AJ turned around to face Jessie, and angry sparks began flying from its cheeks. "Pi-ka…"

"Here, AJ," said Sami, picking up the pillow with the rings on it that AJ had dropped. She handed it back to her miffed-looking Pokémon. "Just go down the aisle to where Ash is."

The Pikachu recovered its composure and proceeded down the aisle as the ring-bearer. Next came Sami, who thoroughly enjoyed flinging rose petals in all directions. (At one point, Professor Birch ended up with a handful of rose petals in his mouth.) Next came Delia, who began weeping at the sight of her grown-up son. She sniffed and wiped her eyes in the soft yellow fur of Electra, whom she was carrying in her arms.

"Aw, Mom…" Ash met his mother halfway down the aisle, gave her a comforting hug, and escorted her to her seat.

Matron of honor Daisy came next, then an uncomfortable-looking Violet on the arm of Tracey. 

"Violet looks like she's about to pop," Ash whispered to Brock. "Hope she doesn't have the babies in the middle of the ceremony."

Brock grew pale. "Oh man, don't even joke about that."

Gary dodged an attempt by James to put some gel on his hair and proceeded with Lily down the aisle. 

"Well, hello, Pikachu," Jessie smiled evilly at the yellow Pokémon, who was wearing a top hat and a bowtie. "Aren't you just adorable?" She then turned to Togetic, who had a crown of flowers atop its head. "And aren't you cute, too!" 

James, who was reading Jessie's thoughts, grabbed her arm as she reached for the two wary Pokémon. "Snap out of it, Jessie!" James said, shaking her roughly. "We're here to make money, not steal Pokémon. We gave that up years ago, remember?"

Jessie quickly came to her senses. "Sorry. Old habits are hard to break." Pushing her partner away, she seized the two Pokémon and began shoving them down the aisle. "All right, Pikachu…you and that flying egg thing get going!"

With an uneasy glance backwards at Jessie, Pikachu took Togetic's arm and the two proceeded down the aisle to where Ash and the rest of the wedding party were standing. Everyone grinned at the sight of the Pokémon in a top hat, and Ash's grin was the biggest of all.

"Looking good, buddy," Ash smiled at his Pokémon. "You too, Togetic."

"Be careful," Brock grinned mischievously at Pikachu. "Remember what I said about Misty marrying you instead." 

Electra leapt out of Delia's arms and joined her mate at Ash's side, taking Pikachu's paw firmly in hers.

"Okay, Pops," Jessie addressed Professor Oak. "Time for you and the twerp to get going." She motioned to Meowth, who started playing the wedding march.

"Here comes da' twerp…and she's actually wearin' a skirt!" Meowth sang as Misty and Professor Oak began walking down the aisle.

"I'm going to kill Team Rocket when this is over," Misty said through clenched teeth.

"She's gonna marry da' other twerp an…GAHHHH!" A well-timed Thunderbolt from Pikachu silenced Meowth's serenade.

Ash's heart gave a huge leap at the sight of Misty in her wedding dress.

"Put your eyes back in their sockets, Lover Boy," Brock whispered, although he couldn't help but admiring Misty also.

"Will you look at her, Brock? She's gorgeous!" A stunned Ash whispered back, unable to take his eyes off of the woman who would be his wife in just a few minutes.

"You're a lucky man, my friend," Brock smiled.

"I can't believe how handsome Ash looks," an equally stunned Misty whispered to Professor Oak.

"He certainly looks different when he's not wearing a T-shirt and jeans, doesn't he?" Professor Oak smiled back. "Smoothed his hair down, too." 

"Who gives this woman to be married?" the minister asked as the pair reached the gazebo where the rest of the wedding party was waiting. 

"Her family and friends do," Professor Oak replied. He lifted Misty's veil, gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, and led her to the man who would soon be her husband.

"You look incredible, Mist," Ash beamed at his future wife.

"So do you, Ash," Misty smiled back.

"Dearly beloved," the minister began as Ash and Misty joined hands. "We are gathered here today to join this man and this woman in holy matrimony. If anyone has any objections to this union, I ask them to speak now or forever hold their peace."

__

To be continued…


	11. Chapter 11

"Oh no, my water just broke!" shrieked Violet, who was staring at the puddle that had just formed under her feet. 

"Violet!" shouted Brock, who in his haste to get to his wife's side, threw aside Misty's ring and pushed Ash over into the front row of seats. The gold ring went sailing high in a graceful arc and headed towards the nearby fountain.

"I've got it!" yelled Meowth, who went chasing after the ring. It bounced off of the Dragonite statue in the middle of the fountain and landed in Meowth's open mouth. With one gulp, the ring was gone.

"You ate my ring!" screamed a furious Misty. She seized the Pokémon by the throat and began throttling him. "Give me back my ring!"

"Ow! Ow!" screeched Violet, who clutched her swollen abdomen and sank to the carpet.

"Oh my…is there a doctor in the house?" the concerned minister asked the congregation. 

Delia gave her husband a nudge. "Go on, honey."

Professor Oak stared at his wife in disbelief. "Delia, I may be a doctor, but I have a Ph.D…not an M.D.!"

"But you've delivered Pokémon babies before," Delia continued, prodding her husband in the direction of the pregnant woman in distress. "You're just like an obstetrician."

"Delia, the vast majority of Pokémon are hatched from eggs," Professor Oak protested. "There's a huge difference between that and..."

"I'm gonna kill you, Brock!" screeched Violet, who was in the throes of another contraction.

"I…love…you…too…honey," replied Brock through gritted teeth as all the bones in his hand were being crushed in his wife's grip.

"Honey, you're the only one who can help Violet," Delia insisted, pushing her husband in the direction of the altar. 

Professor Oak nervously made his way to the pregnant woman and her whimpering husband. "Um…hello, Violet. How are you feeling?"

Violet replied by seizing him by the lapels of his jacket. "Get these babies out of me _right now_!"

"Um…okay…don't panic." Professor Oak carefully removed Violet from his tuxedo, looked around for anyone who could be of assistance, and spotted one of his former students. "Foster, come over here and give me a hand."

"You heard him, honey," Daisy said proudly. "Go help Professor Oak deliver Violet's baby."

Foster gave his wife a shocked look. "Daisy, just because I'm a water Pokémon professor, it doesn't mean that I know what to do when your sister breaks _her_ water!"

"Oh, go ahead, honey," Daisy said, taking her daughter from her husband's lap. "Shelly and I will be right here rooting for you."

Foster hesitantly made his way to his former instructor's side.

"Foster, you and your wife just recently had a baby, didn't you?" Professor Oak asked.

"Yes. Six months ago," the younger man replied nervously.

"Good. Then you have a better knowledge of childbirth than I do," Professor Oak said, giving up his place at Violet's side. "So what should we do next?"

Foster anxiously surveyed the scene. "Uh…I think you're supposed to check and see if the baby's head is showing yet."

"Check and…?" The last thing in the world Professor Oak was going to do was lift Violet's skirt and perform a pelvic exam on her in front of the entire congregation. 

"Anything I can do, Professor?" Tracey asked, kneeling down next to his boss. 

"Call for an ambulance now," Professor Oak replied, hastily shoving his cell phone into his assistant's hands. "And tell them to hurry it up."

"Oh…oh….here comes another one," Violet moaned. Brock whimpered as his wife's crushing grip on his hand brought further tears of pain to his eyes.

Nearby, Lily and May were watching the entire scene and wondering what in the world they had gotten themselves into.

"Daisy didn't say anything about this when she had Shelly," a horrified Lily stared at her sister.

A curly-haired young man holding a camera appeared behind the two women. "This is so exciting," he said enthusiastically, snapping a picture. "The miracle of childbirth, caught on film!"

"Lily, tell your husband to put that camera away right now before I shove it down his throat!" shouted Violet, giving her brother-in-law a murderous glance.

"Todd, do you have to take pictures of _everything_?" Lily said, snatching the camera away from him.

"Aren't you going to examine her?" Foster asked his former instructor once more.

Professor Oak gulped anxiously and shot a nervous glance at the lower part of Violet's body. "I…uh…"

"Oh, you men are useless!" Daisy exclaimed in exasperation, handing Shelly to Lily and May. Daisy shoved her husband aside and took hold of her sister's free hand. "Okay, Violet, honey…you're going to have to start doing your breathing exercises. Pretend you're a Magikarp and blow the air out in short little puffs."

Delia tapped her husband on the shoulder. "Daisy's right. Let the women take care of this." Professor Oak gratefully gave up his place at Violet's side to his wife.

"All right, Violet dear," Delia said, gently mopping the sweat off of Violet's brow with her handkerchief. "I know it hurts a lot, but you have to listen to your sister and breathe through the pain."

"Thank you, Mrs. Oak," Brock said gratefully through gritted teeth as he removed his crushed hand from his wife's grasp.

"Professor Oak!" Misty shouted, shoving Meowth in her future father-in-law's face. "Meowth ate my ring! Do something!"

"I…didn't…mean…to…" Meowth choked, as Misty was holding him firmly by the neck.

"Make him give me my ring back!" Misty demanded. "Give him some medicine or cut him open or something!"

"Cut…me…?!" Meowth's eyes widened in horror.

"Misty, I'll see what I can do about Meowth later," he said, releasing the Pokémon from her stranglehold. "But right now, why don't you see what you can do to help your sister?"

"Leave it to my sister and Team Rocket to ruin everything!" Misty fumed, stomping off in Violet's direction.

"Thanks, Professor," Meowth said gratefully, rubbing his sore neck. 

"You won't be so thankful after I give you a dose of laxative," Professor Oak said, taking Meowth by the arm. "Let's go inside the lab and…"

"Grandpa! Hey, Grandpa!" cried Gary.

Professor Oak turned around and saw Ash slumped in Gary's arms. 

"Ash? What happened?" Professor Oak said, releasing his grip on Meowth (who quickly scurried away), and dashed to his stepson's side.

"It's okay, Ash. Take it easy," Gary said, helping his pale-looking friend to a nearby chair. "He said his stomach's been bothering him all day," Gary explained to his grandfather. "And I think he's running a fever."

"It's okay," Ash insisted. "Just had too much to drink last night, that's all."

Professor Oak felt Ash's forehead and discovered that Gary's diagnosis was correct. "Ash, you're burning up. Where exactly is your stomach hurting?"

"It was kind of in the middle earlier," Ash said, clutching his right side. "But now it's more over here."

"The pain is on your right side?" Professor Oak repeated.

"Yeah," Ash nodded. "But I think it's going away now."

"What's wrong with him, Grandpa?" Gary asked worriedly.

Professor Oak loosened Ash's tie. "Gary, do you remember your sixth birthday party?"

"Yeah, but what does that…?" Then the memory struck him. "Oh…appendicitis!"

Professor Oak nodded. "I just hope that ambulance Tracey sent for has room for two people. Stay with him, Gary. I've got to go find Meowth and get Misty's ring back."

"What did he mean by your sixth birthday party?" asked Ash as Professor Oak headed off in search of Meowth. 

"You were there, Ash. Don't you remember? I threw up in the middle of my birthday cake and had to spend the rest of my birthday in the hospital getting my appendix taken out," Gary said. "Yeah, that was definitely the worst birthday ever. But don't worry, Ash," Gary patted his friend's shoulder reassuringly. "Once they get you to the hospital and get that appendix out, you'll feel much better."

"Hospital? I can't go to the hospital!" Ash protested, making an attempt to stand up. "I'm getting married today and then I'm going on my honeym…ow!" Ash clutched his side and sank down into his chair once more.

A furious Misty came storming up to the pair. "Ash, did you see where Meowth…what's wrong?" 

"He's got appendicitis, Misty," Gary explained. "But don't worry. Gramps said that an ambulance is on the way."

"What?" Shocked, Misty sat down next to her fiancé and was alarmed by how pale he was. "Ash, why didn't you tell me that you were sick?"

"I didn't want to ruin our wedding day, Misty," Ash replied.

"Don't worry, I think Meowth and Violet have already taken care of that," Misty said, jerking her head in the direction of her sister.

"Brock, get back over here so I can kill you!" screeched Violet as another contraction hit.

Brock ran by, clutching his injured hand. "No! I can't take another contraction!"

Gary rolled his eyes. "I'm never getting married."

__

To be continued…


	12. Chapter 12

"How's Ash doing?" Delia asked anxiously.

"He's still in surgery," Professor Oak reported. "But the nurse said that he's doing fine. His vital signs are excellent, and the surgery is almost over. Any news?"

Delia shook her head. "No, but the obstetrician is in there now with Violet and…" The door opened, and a smiling Daisy emerged.

"Okay everyone, time to come see my new niece and nephew," Daisy announced proudly.

The crowd in the waiting area hurried into the room where an exhausted but happy Violet lay in her bed with a pink-wrapped bundle in her arms. Sitting next to her, beaming contentedly at the blue-wrapped bundle he was cradling in his arms, was Brock.

"Everyone, we'd like you to meet Eric Ashton," Brock said, gently stroking his dark-haired son's cheek with his bandaged hand. 

"And this is Cerulean Misty," Violet announced, nodding in the direction of her dark-haired daughter.

"Cerulean…?" asked Professor Oak.

"Like, what else would we name a girl with gorgeous blue eyes like this?" Violet said proudly as her daughter opened her eyes, revealing that they were indeed a deep cerulean blue.

"Eric Ashton and Cerulean Misty…Ash and Misty!" Delia exclaimed happily.

"Yeah, we figured it was the least we could do for them after we ruined their wedding," Brock explained. "Any news on Ash yet?"

"The appendectomy is almost over when I was up there," Professor Oak reported. "And they said that Ash is doing fine. How's your hand?"

"Three broken bones," Brock said, grinning at his son. "I hope Eric inherits his mother's grip."

"I'm going to go run upstairs and tell Misty about her new niece and nephew now," Delia said, heading for the door. 

"Okay, everyone…smile!" Todd said, raising his camera to take a picture of the proud family.

Delia hurried upstairs to the waiting area outside surgery where Tracey, May, Gary, and Misty were waiting. 

"Any news?" Delia asked.

Gary shook his head. 

"Misty, dear," Delia said, placing her arms around the girl's shoulders. "I have some good news for you. You have a beautiful new niece and nephew." 

"Oh, that's wonderful!" May exclaimed.

"How's everyone doing?" asked Tracey.

"The babies, Violet, and Brock are doing fine. Well, Brock has a broken hand, but I think he's too smitten with his new son and daughter to care," Delia reported. "And I have even more exciting news. Would you like to know what the babies' names are?"

Misty nodded.

"Eric Ashton and Cerulean Misty!" Delia said excitedly. "Violet and Brock decided to name the babies after you and Ash."

"That's great," Misty said, managing a tiny smile.

"Oh honey, I know you're worried about Ash," Delia said, giving her a comforting hug. "We all are. But the doctors and nurses are taking good care of him. Why don't you go visit your new niece and nephew while we stay up here?"

"Yeah. We'll come get you if we hear anything," Gary said. 

Misty shook her head. "No. I'm not going to leave until I know that Ash is…"

The door to the surgical suite opened, and a man in surgical scrubs approached Misty. "Mrs. Ketchum?"

"How's Ash?" Misty asked worriedly.

"Your husband is in recovery and doing fine," the doctor smiled at her. "You can go see him if you want." 

Misty gathered up the skirts of her wedding dress and headed down the hallway to the recovery room.

"While Misty's in there, I'm going to go tell everyone the good news," Delia said, heading for the elevator.

"Can we see Ash too?" Tracey asked, standing up.

"Right now, I'd prefer that only immediate family visit," the doctor replied. "Are you relatives?"

"Yeah. I'm Ash's step-nephew-in-law," Tracey said.

The doctor gave the young man a puzzled look.

"It's simple," Tracey explained. "My wife's grandfather is married to Ash's mother. That makes Ash my wife's step-uncle and me Ash's step-nephew-in-law."

The confused-looking doctor turned to Gary. "And are you related to Mr. Ketchum?"

"Yeah. Ashy-boy is technically my step-uncle, but I told him that I'd kiss Muk before I started calling him 'Uncle Ash'," Gary replied.

The doctor, who was starting to get a headache from trying to decipher the Ketchum-Oak family tree, sighed wearily. "Okay…right now, let's just let Mr. Ketchum's wife visit. The rest of you can visit your step-uncle or nephew-in-law when he's back in his room."

"Ash? Ash, honey…can you hear me?" Misty said softly, taking Ash's hand in hers. Not getting a response, she glanced worriedly at the monitors keeping readout of her fiancé's vital signs. She then saw a trio in surgical scrubs, masks, and lab coats approaching. 

"Excuse me," Misty asked them. "Can you tell me how Ash is doing?"

"Well, we can't tell you how he's doing, but we can tell you who we are," replied the blue-haired doctor.

Misty instantly recognized that voice, and her eyes widened in disbelief. "Oh no, not you again!"

"That's right, twerp," Jessie replied, removing her surgical mask. "Doctor Jessie!"

"And Doctor James," her partner said, removing his mask. "But we're not here to make trouble."

"Considering that you've already ruined my wedding, that's real considerate of you," Misty replied sarcastically. "How did you get in here?"

"Calm down, Red," said Meowth, removing his mask. "The reason why we're here is because we're going to fix everything."

"How?" Misty shot back. "You ate my ring!"

"Not to worry, twerp," Meowth replied confidently. "The ol' professor gave me a big dose of industrial-strength laxative before we came here and…" Meowth suddenly looked very uncomfortable. "Uh-oh…excuse me!" He hurried off in the direction of the bathroom.

"Anyway, while Meowth is busy trying to get your ring back," said Jessie. "James and I figured out a way to fix everything."

"Since when have you been interested in helping us?" Misty replied angrily.

"Believe it or not, twerp," Jessie said, "we have gone straight since leaving Team Rocket."

"And since we don't get paid for our catering job until you two get married," explained James. "We decided that we need to get the two of you married fast so we can get our money."

"I knew there was a scheme behind all this," Misty said, eyes blazing. "I should've known that the two of you wouldn't do anything unless there was money involved!"

"Hey, we're trying to do you a favor, twerp! Do you want to get married or not?!" Jessie shouted. 

"Keep it down, Jess," James warned. "They'll kick us out of here if they figure out that we're not really doctors."

"So how are you going to fix everything?" Misty replied skeptically.

"Simple," James said, pulling a piece of paper out of the pocket of his lab coat. "Ever since we left Team Rocket, we've worked a variety of jobs. Caterers, hair stylists, fashion consultants, florists, waiters, and…" He handed the paper to Misty.

"A minister?! You're a _minister_?" Misty said, shocked, as she read the writing on the certificate James had just handed her.

"Yeah, we thought it would be convenient," Jessie explained. "For a while, we even had our own wedding chapel. James would marry the happy couple while I did the flowers, food, and bride's makeup."

"And Meowth would play the organ," James said happily, smiling at the memory. "But we ran into a little trouble with one ceremony and had to give it up."

"Hey, how was I supposed to know that the entire wedding party was allergic to roses?" Jessie snapped.

"That was awful. Everyone was sneezing and itching and broken out in hives," James shuddered. "Then a swarm of Beedrill came after the roses and starting stinging everyone."

"How do I know this is real?" Misty said skeptically, reading the printing on the certificate for the fifth time. "I've never heard of the Church of the Holy Mackerel."

"It's one of those internet churches," James beamed. "Isn't technology wonderful? And I know it's authentic because they let Meowth get one of those, too."

"_Meowth_ is a minister, too?" Misty's head was beginning to spin.

"We figured that James and Meowth could take turns performing wedding ceremonies," Jessie explained. "That way, we could hustle people in and out of the chapel faster and make more money. So hurry up and make up your mind -- do you and the twerp want to get married right now or not?"

"M…Misty?" Ash said groggily as his eyelids fluttered open.

"Ash, I'm here," Misty said, giving her fiancé a light kiss on the forehead. "How do you feel, honey?"

"Like an Onix ran over me," Ash smiled weakly at his fianceé. His smile faded at the sight of Jessie and James hovering over him. "What are they doing here?"

"You're not going to believe this, Ash, but they want to marry us," Misty explained.

"You're right. I don't believe it," Ash said, shaking his head. "That pain medication the doctor gave me must be giving me some kind of crazy hallucination."

"Hey, we're trying to do you twerps a favor! Give us some credit!" Jessie exclaimed.

"Look, even though you might not believe us, we do feel responsible for ruining your wedding with Meowth and all. So let us make it up to you," James said. "What do you say?"

"What do you think, Ash?" Misty asked her fiancé. "Even though I'm not sure that I entirely trust these guys, they do seem like they want to help. Even if it's just for the money."

"If we don't get married now, the doctor says it'll be a couple of weeks before I've recovered enough to have another ceremony," Ash said, giving Misty's hand a weak squeeze. "Maybe we should do it, Misty. I mean, you're still in your wedding dress and you've got your bouquet."

"But I still don't have my ring," Misty frowned. "And Daisy still has your ring."

"Never mind, we can use something else," James suggested.

"How about this?" Jessie said, digging a small, circular piece of metal out of her pocket.

"Oh, look!" James exclaimed happily. "It's one of the pieces of Super-Mecha-Robo-Wobbuffet! That'll do for his ring." 

"But what about my ring?" Misty whined.

"Hey, do youse want your ring back?" came Meowth's voice from the bathroom. 

Misty made a face. "As much as I want my ring back, I think I'll wait until it's been cleaned and sterilized….numerous times."

"Here, twerp. Use this," James said, handing her a blue plastic ring in the shape of a Wobbuffet. "I got it out of the gumball machine downstairs."

Misty picked up the toy ring. "This has got to be the craziest wedding ever."

"Okay, twerps, join hands," James instructed. "Hopefully, I can remember all the words. Ahem…dearly beloved, we're gathered here today to join these two twerps…"

"For once, can't you use our names?" Ash groaned.

"Um…okay. We're here to join Ash and Misty in holy matrimony." James turned to the semiconscious young man lying in the hospital bed. "Twer…Ash, do you take Misty to be your awful wedded wife?"

"That's _lawful_ wedded wife!" Misty fumed.

"I do," Ash grinned playfully at his fianceé.

James turned to the redhead scowling at him. "Okay, Misty. Do you take this twer…Ash to be your husband?"

"I do," Misty grumbled.

"Okay, time for the rings," James told Jessie. She tossed the metal gear to Misty.

"Now put the ring on his finger and repeat after me," James instructed. "'With this piece of Super-Mecha-Robo-Wobbuffet, I thee wed.'"

"I can't believe I'm doing this," Misty muttered, shaking her head in disbelief before slipping the metal gear (which was way too big) on her fiancé's finger. "With this piece of Super-Mecha-Robo-Wobbuffet, I thee wed."

"Now you take the Wobbuffet ring and put it on her finger," James instructed Ash as Misty handed him the toy ring. 

The ring, which was obviously meant for a child, didn't make it past Misty's knuckle. 

"Never mind, that's good enough," said James. "Now say, 'with this ring, I thee wed.'"

Ash tried forcing the ring further down on Misty's finger before giving up. "With this ring, I thee wed."

"By the power vested in me by the Church of the Holy Mackerel, I now pronounce you husband and wife," James smiled. "You may kiss the bride."

"I love you, Mrs. Ketchum," Ash smiled, kissing his new bride on the lips.

"I love you too, Ash," Misty smiled back.

"Dat's so beautiful," a drained-looking Meowth sniffed, dabbing away a tear. "And youse didn't even need da ring." He handed Jessie something in his paw.

"Ewwww!" Jessie shrieked, realizing what the object in Meowth had just handed her was. As she began throttling the unfortunate Pokémon, James held out his palm to the kissing couple.

"Ahem…I believe our catering contract says that we get our payment as soon as you two are married," James said. "It's time to pay up."

A nurse approached the group sitting at Ash's bedside. "I noticed that Mr. Ketchum's heart rate was elevated so I…who are you?"

"Uh…looks like Team Rocket will be going now," Jessie gulped nervously, making her way towards the door.

"We'll send you our bill!" James called back as he, Jessie, and Meowth dashed down the hallway.

__

To be continued…


	13. Chapter 13

"How's our patient doing?" smiled Professor Oak as he knocked on the door to the apartment over the lab.

"The doctor's with him now," smiled Misty, nodding in the direction of the bed where her husband lay. Perched on the bed next to him was Sami, who was busy listening to her brother's heart and examining his eyes at the same time.

"He's okay, Daddy. I'm giving him a checkup right now," Sami announced, turning her attention to her brother's ears. "Ewww…he's got lots of gunky wax in there. It's really icky. Want to look?" She handed her father the instrument in her hands.

"That's all right, Sami. I'm sure the doctors and nurses at the hospital…hey, isn't this my otoscope? And what are you doing with my stethoscope?"

"Well, since you use these to give Pokémon checkups, I figured they'd work for giving Ash a checkup too," Sami said.

Professor Oak's gaze fell on the thermometer that was dangling out of Ash's mouth. "Sami, is that the thermometer I use on the Pokémon?"

Ash spat out the thermometer, which flew across the room and landed at Professor Oak's feet. Sami chased after it, picked it up, and handed it back to her father. 

"It's okay, Daddy," Sami said happily. "He doesn't have a fever."

"Sami, if you want to help me give someone a checkup, I think Muk is due for his annual physical," Professor Oak said, ushering his daughter out of the room. "Ash needs to rest now."

Ash was busy wiping his mouth on his pillow when there was another knock at the door. 

"Misty, if that's Sami again, tell her that I don't need another physical!"

"How's he doing, Misty?" Delia asked as Misty opened the door. "I brought him some nice hot soup."

"He was doing well until his sister checked his temperature with the Pokémon thermometer," Misty said, stifling a giggle. Ash grimaced. 

"Hey, Mom," Ash said, attempting to sit up in bed. "More chicken noodle soup, huh?"

"And you need to eat every bit of that so you can get your strength back and go on your honeymoon," Delia said, placing the tray on her son's lap. "Speaking of which, I talked to Brock earlier and he said that he changed your reservations for the resort on Sunset Island to next week."

"How's the new dad doing?" Ash asked, slurping a spoonful of soup.

"He looked pretty tired, but he loves taking care of the babies," Delia smiled. 

"He should, after all the practice he's had taking care of us and his brothers and sisters," Misty said.

"Oh, I miss having a baby to take care of again," Delia said wistfully. "I offered to babysit the twins so Brock and Violet could get some rest."

"Don't worry, Mom," Ash said. "With Sami, Brock's kids, and May having a baby soon, you'll have plenty of kids to take care of."

"And that includes you, too," Delia said, tucking a napkin under her son's chin. "Even though you're grown up and married, you'll always be my little boy. Now you eat every bit of that soup and get some rest." Delia headed back downstairs.

"She's right, Ash," Misty said, feeding her husband a spoonful of soup. "You need to get better so we can go to Sunset Island."

"Yeah, spending our wedding night in the hospital and our honeymoon in the apartment above the lab isn't exactly my idea of romantic."

"Well, finish eating your soup so that you can get your strength back." Misty smiled seductively and began to remove her shirt. "And then _we_ can play doctor."

"Daddy, I left your stethoscope in Ash and Misty's room!" Sami said, dragging her father back down the hallway. The girl stopped outside the door to the apartment and smiled when she heard the sound of giggling. "Oh, listen, Daddy! Sounds like Ash and Misty are happy about something. Just like you and Mommy were the morning of the wedding."

Professor Oak's face turned bright red. "Um, Sami…why don't we let Ash and Misty have some privacy?"

"I wanna see what's so funny," Sami said, reaching for the doorknob.

Professor Oak quickly grabbed his daughter's hand. "Uh, I'll let your mother explain that to you when you're older. Right now, let's go give Muk his physical."

__

To be continued…


	14. Chapter 14

"This is the life, huh, Misty?" Ash said a week later as the couple was lounging on the beach on Sunset Island. In beach chairs next to them lay Pikachu and Electra, who were enjoying their 'second honeymoon'.

"You said it, Ash," Misty smiled, reaching for her husband's hand. "The sun, the sand, the surf…"

"Wobbuffet!" 

Ash and Misty turned in surprise and saw a blue bloblike Pokémon riding the ocean waves on a surfboard. Perched on Wobbuffet's shoulders was Meowth.

"All right, Wobby! Let's hang ten!" Meowth looked down at the Pokémon's feet. "Or in your case, hang four!"

"There's only one pair I know who has a Wobbuffet and a Meowth," Ash groaned.

"Prepare for trouble, but not today!" said a familiar female voice.

"And make it double, it's time to play!" added another familiar voice.

Ash and Misty turned around and standing behind them were Jessie in a red bikini and James in a pair of bright blue swim trunks.

"Surprise, twerps!" Jessie said, removing her sunglasses.

"What are you doing here?" Misty demanded angrily. 

"Same as you," said James. "We're on our honeymoon."

"You're _what_?!" a shocked Ash and Misty exclaimed in unison.

"We saw how happy you twerps were in the hospital, so we thought we'd give marriage a try, too," Jessie explained, replacing her sunglasses. "Meowth performed the ceremony."

Ash and Misty wondered if this was some kind of Team Rocket trick, but then they spotted the gold bands on Jessie's and James's fingers.

"Come on, Jess," said James, taking his wife's hand. "Let's go get some drinks with those tiny umbrellas in them!"

"Good luck, twerps," Jessie called back as she and her husband headed off in the direction of the hotel.

"Now I've seen everything," Misty said, her mouth still hanging open in disbelief.

"I think we've been out in the sun too long," Ash said, rubbing his eyes. "I'm hallucinating."

"Well, then maybe we should head back to the room and get out of our swimsuits," Misty said, smiling seductively.

"Sounds fun to me," Ash smiled, kissing his wife hungrily. As the two walked in hand in hand through the hotel lobby, the man at the front desk stopped them.

"Is your name Ketchum?" he asked.

"Yep. Mr. and Mrs. Ketchum," Ash grinned, giving his wife's hand a loving squeeze.

"There's a call for you on the videophone," the hotel clerk said, pointing to the console in the corner of the lobby.

"Wonder who it could be?" Ash said, seating himself at the videophone and picking up the receiver.

"Hi, honey! Hi, Misty!" Delia smiled broadly as her face appeared on the screen.

"Mom?"

"I hope you two are having fun on your honeymoon," Delia said as she juggled a pair of gurgling babies in her arms.

"Mom, what's going on there?" Ash asked as a ball went whizzing by on the screen.

"Oh, I'm having so much fun!" Delia gushed. "Brock and Violet brought the twins by so I could babysit, and Daisy brought Shelly by too." She pointed to the baby sitting on the floor who had AJ's tail clasped firmly in her chubby hands. "They're taking Lily on a shopping spree to buy her some baby things."

"Uh, that's nice, Mom. But why did you call?"

"Oh honey, I have the most exciting news!" Delia said. "My doctor just called, and you're going to be a big brother again!"

"What?!" Ash and Misty's jaws dropped in shock.

"It happened the morning you got married," Delia explained, her eyes dreamy. "Sam and I were so caught up in the romance of your big day."

Ash suddenly had a flashback to the morning of his and Misty's wedding.

__

…is Mom up yet?

Yeah. I heard her and Daddy giggling in their room. Guess they're happy about you and Misty getting married too.

"Wow…that is pretty amazing news," Ash replied once he had gotten his voice back. "What does Sami think of becoming a big sister?"

"She's thrilled," Delia said, pointing to the girl who was busy tossing a ball to Kingler.

"And how's Dad taking the news?"

"Well, he was certainly surprised too," Delia said, turning the video screen around to reveal an unconscious Professor Oak lying in a crumpled heap on the floor. 

"I think he's starting to come around now," said Tracey, who was busy trying to revive his partner.

"Poor thing," Delia said sympathetically. "He thought we were too old to have any more children. But when I explained to him that lots of women nowadays have babies in their forties, he fainted."

"Poor Daddy. Kingler, help wake Daddy up with your Water Gun," Sami said helpfully. 

"Sami, don't…!" 

A torrent of water shot out of Kingler's mouth, drenching both Professor Oak and Tracey. Startled, the babies in Delia's arms began to cry. Shelly then took a bite out of AJ's tail with her brand-new tooth, causing the Pokémon to squeal shrilly in pain.

"No, AJ!" Sami said, pulling her Pokémon away as sparks began flying from its cheeks. She flung her Pikachu atop her father and Tracey just as it initiated its Thundershock attack. Its conductivity enhanced by the water from Kingler's attack, the resulting electrical charge sent Professor Oak leaping to his feet.

"Hooray, Daddy's awake!" Sami said cheerfully. "Good job, AJ!"

The miffed-looking Pokémon examined its injured tail while Tracey, who had been blasted off of his feet by the force of AJ's electrical current, shakily sat up.

"Oh dear, guess I'd better go and see if I can calm everyone down," Delia sighed, rocking the crying babies in her arms. 

"Take care of yourself and everyone else there, Mom," Ash said.

"I can't wait until you and Misty have a baby so I can have a whole household of children to fuss over," Delia said, cuddling the babies in her arms. "Sami, sweetheart, go help your daddy get his head out of Muk's mouth."

"See ya', Mom," Ash said, hanging up the phone.

"Your mother really loves taking care of kids," Misty smiled. "I'm glad that she's going to have another one."

"Yeah, but I'm not sure that I'm ready for us to have one just yet," Ash said.

"Don't worry about that right now, Ash," Misty smiled, rubbing her husband's shoulders. "We have plenty of time to start a family. But why don't we practice our technique in the meantime?"

"I like the way you think, Mrs. Ketchum," Ash grinned, taking his wife's hand.

And the two headed back to their room to start on their future together.

THE END


End file.
